Endocrine Abstracts

Up-to-date dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) offers an insight into body composition (fat and lean mass) in different body regions.Objectives: To measure the regional fat and lean mass in women of different age and to describe age-related changes.Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty women referred for DXA participated in the whole body (WB) study – age range was 20–75 yrs. They were subdivided in three age gr...

Current issues relating to pituitary incidentalomas include definitional limits, difficulties in their diagnosis resulting in hidden dangers, unknown pathogeny and management based on expectation. The prevalence of pituitary incidentalomas depends on the method of investigation: 3.2–27% in necroptic studies or 10–23% by imaging (MRI or CT), compared to only 0.1% clinically expressed pituitary adenomas. Diagnosis requires at least imaging and hormonal assays. However,...

Introduction: Thyrotropinomas are rare pituitary tumours. Neurosurgery is considered the first-line treatment, followed by medical therapy with somatostatin analogues or radiotherapy.Case reports: We present two cases of thyrotropinomas with different therapeutic approaches. Case 1: A 63-year old man presented with severe thyrotoxicosis. Biochemical evaluation showed inappropriate TSH secretion (TSH=7.5 mU/l, FT4=45.5 pmol/l); computed tomogra...

Background: Few cases of hypersensitivity of thyroid–pituitary feedback in hypothyroid children were reported.Aim: To present a family with asymptomatic, severe biochemical primary autoimmune hypothyroidism who showed a marked sensitivity of pituitary feedback to levothyroxine treatment.Methods: TSH was measured by 3rd generation immunoassay kit.Case report: R.G, woman, aged 22, presented for asymptomati...

Growing interest in the role of vitamin D in many disease conditions as well as wide availability of vitamin D assays has led to a marked increase in its measurement. Although there are multiple circulating metabolites of vitamin D, those of interest are 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and D3 and measurements of their relative concentrations is considered helpful. We reviewed vitamin D levels (D2 and D3) obtained on our patient population visiting a large teaching hospital.<p class="...

Background: Risk stratification could be lifesaving in acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Echocardiographic (ECHO) acute right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is the actual ‘gold standard’ in risk assessment of patients with PE. We previously demonstrated that plasma BNP levels were significantly higher in patients with PE and acute RVD on ECHO versus patients with normal right ventricular (RV) function on ECHO.Aim and objective: Evaluation of the li...

The identification of type 2 diabetes patients at particularly high risk for cardiovascular events might be facilitated by the use of specific risk calculators or by measurements of serum biomarkers.Objectives: To correlate the levels of cardiovascular biomarkers – assymetric dymethylarginine (ADMA), endothelin 1 (ET-1), N-terminal brain natriuretic pro-peptide (NT-proBNP) and placental growth factor (PIGF-1), with calculated cardiovascular risks us...

Aims: To explore the correlations of BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist–to–height ratio (WHtR), waist–to–hip ratio (WHR) and body composition with levels of assymetric dymethylarginine (ADMA), endothelin 1(ET–1), N–terminal brain natriuretic pro–peptide (NT–proBNP), uric acid and calculated cardiovascular risks.Methods: 102 women and 67 men with type 2 diabetes on oral antidiabetic drugs participated. Ser...

Introduction: Isolated acquired ACTH deficiency is rare; it may be due to hypophysitis and association with other autoimmune diseases was reported.Case report: E.L, female, aged 34, was diagnosed with primary autoimmune hypothyroidism and premature ovarian failure; levothyroxine and estroprogestins were administered. Suddenly, the patient developed vomiting, shivers without fever and soon coma installed, with tonic-clonic seizures. There was no history o...

Background: We previously demonstrated plasma BNP to be a valuable biomarker of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). Several specific ECG abnormalities related to the right ventricular strain were described in patients with PE.Objective: Assessment of the correlation of plasma BNP levels with ECG signs of RVD in patients with PE.Methods: Seventy patients with confirmed acute PE, 42(60%...